Evidence for Relativity: GPS Clock Data

Goal: Review the "state of the field" for reliable evidence

Materials

• Read through Neil Ashby's article at Physics Today: Relativity and the Global Positioning System, paying particular attention to the TOPEX experiment and data.

Procedure

1. Identify the experimental assumptions underlying the need to correct clocks in GPS satellites. What effects are relativistic? What effects are non-relativistic?
2. Is it possible to distinguish between relativistic and non-relativistic effects?
3. Is it possible to account for clock deviations without using relativistic effects?
4. How convincing is the evidence of relativistic effects using GPS data?

Data Handling

1. There is no specific data to handle.

Report

1. This is a non-traditional report, and should assume an essay format rather than a lab format.

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